By Richard Forristal

It was a Cork celebration at Ballybrit as Rebel Fitz just held off the late thrust of Cause Of Causes to take the glory in an incident-packed Guinness Galway Hurdle.

Strongly-supported favourite Drive Time and Ruby Walsh suffered a nasty fall before the race really began in earnest, bringing down another leading hope in Donald McCain's British challenger Lexi's Boy under Jason Maguire.

Winters, Russell and owner Brian Sweetnam all hail from Cork, with the horse named after hurler John Fitzgibbon.

Winters said: “We enjoyed the build up to it and we had a fantastic rehearsal and the owners really enjoyed it as well.

“The horse's health was very well and I was often fretting a lot more going to a point-to-point

“Coming down the hill I thought we were beat and I thought on the line we were beaten. Our crowd were like lunatics around me and they thought he won.

“He is named after John Fitzgibbon, the Cork hurler and he is Cork through and through.

“Brian, his owner, is a banker in London and he is going back to work tomorrow.

“The horse was so relaxed this morning I was even a bit worried. I was relieved to see him a little on his toes at the races.

“When he won his bumper in Listowel I said he looked like the next Master Minded. He showed a Cork dash like (Cork hurler) Jimmy Barry Murphy.

“The original plan was to go to Tipperary in the middle of October for a €40,000 (£31,387) hurdle race. I'm not sure if he's qualified for that now but he'll get a break anyhow.

“We thought about going chasing but we've stayed over hurdles as the prize-money is so good.”

He added: “We gave Davy no instructions, you leave it to the jockey. Davy rode a great race and in fairness, at that level of jockeys, you've no business trying to interfere with them or tell them something because they know their job.

“You'd be only messing or tempting fate maybe.”

Russell said: “That was a marvellous win. Rebel Fitz is a classy horse trained by a very shrewd man and he is owned by a wonderful bunch of people — that's what Galway is all about.

“There's no point in me making up stories saying I knew what was happening (referring to Davy Condon finishing fast on his outside on eventual second Cause Of Causes) because I didn't.

“I'd want a kick up the backside, that's what I'd want. It'll never happen again anyway.”

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